The Clock Shop
by BeautifulEscapades18
Summary: A tragedy ten years ago has been troubling Annabeth, her parents died, Percy died. But Percy's mysterious appearance 10 years later into the present confuses Annabeth. What is the reason behind Percy's reappearance? It's the truth and love. AU.


**I'd like to come back with this one shot. I feel so terrible promising something to you guys that I didn't even fulfill. And for that, I'm so sorry. So many bad things happened to me. I've been depressed. Like I told you, my mom died and then people judging and degrading me at the same time. To be quite honest, I started to cut. Then later on stopped because it wasn't worth my time. People even joked that I was so flawless and now with the scars on my wrist I'm not as flawless as before. Haha. I'm so excited that Rick Riordan is publishing more than three books this year. He's got Mark of Athena (PERCABETH!), Serpent's Shadow, Sea of Monsters Graphic Novel, Red Pyramid Graphic Novel, The Demigod Diaries (in which he writes the journey of Luke, Thalia, and Annabeth to camp), and more.**

**So, I'd like to apologize for leaving you guys hanging. I was actually planning to discontinue The Royal Treatment but I found the inspiration to continue it. Yes, I'll be continuing it. But I will not promise when I could post it. But it's summer here already, so expect some updates from me. So, I'd like to make it up by posting this wonderful one shot.**

**Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own them.**

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><p>Annabeth ran and ran and ran. It was snowing but still, she didn't care if she'd slipped. In the direction where she was running, there was a crowd gathering. She pushed through the crowd and got a front row view of what was happening. She trembled at the sight of a collapsing shop. She knew who was inside of it. The crowd that had gathered had a different purpose on why they were there: curiosity. If she was curious at all, she would've just watched the news. But this was a different story. She started to cry hard when she heard that three people were reported dead. And she knew who they were; her mother, her father, and her only friend, Percy.<p>

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><p>Annabeth paced around the clock shop, still wanting to solve the mystery of the long forgotten explosion of the very same place that she was pacing around on. The clock shop had been refurbished last 2004. The new shop had clocks placed everywhere. Clocks on the wall, clocks on the ceiling, and of course, none on the floor. The front door of the clock shop had intricate designs on it. There was a counter in front of the front door where Katherine—Annabeth's grandmother—always sat around reading a book, or examined people. Annabeth sat back down again on a chair beside a window, thinking that ten years was too long for justice.<p>

Annabeth stood up again and started exiting the shop. As she was walking down the road, a man bumped her, "Watch where you're—" Annabeth was cut short when she saw the man's face.

She stood there, frozen in her spot as the man rushed about. _Impossible_, she thought. She chased after the man but after minutes of searching, she didn't find him. _I must be hallucinating_, she thought again. She started walking again but this time, her thoughts were very troubled and confused. She could've sworn she saw Percy.

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><p>The very next day, Annabeth was on her way to the clock shop. Her grandmother had just called her to tell her that she should guard the shop while she was shopping for books. She couldn't stop thinking about yesterday. It wasn't possible for Percy to be alive after that explosion. And besides, if he didn't die, he would've showed up alive to her. But as she entered the clock shop, she stopped short, for she had seen a customer looking around the shop. It was the same man who confused her thoughts yesterday. It was Percy.<p>

Percy turned his head to see Annabeth. He smiled at her and said, "I've been waiting for you for a long time."

Annabeth stood there, flabbergasted, "But I thought—I thought you were—"

"Dead? Well, not really. It's hard to explain. I came back—no, sent—I was sent here for a reason."

"I don't get you. Where have you been these past ten years? Why didn't you show up? How—"

"I understand you have a lot of questions. Come, let's sit. I want to tell you why I'm here when I'm supposed to be dead."

Annabeth followed Percy and sat down. She examined Percy. Nothing changed, and he still looked like he was seventeen. "You changed a lot, Annabeth." Percy looked at his hands like he was looking for a sign of change, "I'm afraid I haven't changed. I can explain that. But I don't even know where to start." Percy sighed and just stared at Annabeth.

Annabeth was getting uncomfortable being stared by Percy even though they were close friends. "Let's start after the explosion. What happened to you?" Annabeth offered.

"Well, it was a blur. I was on the second floor of the clock shop, staring at the big clock that was there. It was big as the wall it was plastered at. It looked broken, so I decided to check it out. Afterwards, the clock started to go haywire. Your parents heard it, they went up. They told me to get out. Your father went to fix it. I was at the door already and then it exploded – the clock I mean. That's the reason why the shop exploded. Afterwards, I thought I was dead, and I found myself here." Percy looked at Annabeth. He knew she was thinking hard.

"Wait. What do you mean by you found yourself here?" Annabeth asked, confused.

"I asked the same question. Until I discovered that, proven to me by your grandmother, I time traveled. Well, part of me did. The other part of me was found dead on your time, ten years ago."

"Oh. So you mean to say that this clock shop used to be a time machine?" Annabeth looked at Percy, utterly confused.

"I figured you wouldn't know. The clock shop was a time machine. Your parents never told you. They didn't want to lose you." Percy looked at her sadly.

"Don't want to lose me? I don't understand." Annabeth looked so confused, Percy wanted to comfort her.

"When you start to time travel, your genes take it up," Percy explained. "You gain the ability to time travel. If not, you get stuck to the time where you traveled."

Annabeth now understood why her parents never let her go to the second floor of the clock shop. "What made the clock go haywire?" Annabeth asked.

Percy looked at her guiltily and said, "You know I love talking about time travelling—"

"Just get to the point!" Annabeth yelled.

Percy's lip trembled. "It was me."

Annabeth wanted to get angry at him. But instead, Annabeth hugged him. Percy didn't understand. She was supposed to be mad. She was supposed to hit him with punches. She's supposed to walk out. "You were the reason why the people I love died. My parents died, you died. But I'm glad you said the truth."

"You're not mad?" Percy asked sheepishly.

"Of course I'm mad. But how will I be mad at you? I haven't seen you in ten years. And… and I want you to take me time travelling." Annabeth looked at him admiringly.

"But… but what if-?"

"I get stuck on that time? No worries, I'm with you, right?" Annabeth said, smiling.

"Oh, alright. If you insist."

Percy stood up, invited Annabeth to stand by his side, extended his arms to her and said, "I'm taking you where it all started. Here, take my hand."

Annabeth took Percy's hand. A few moments, the scene was changing. The clock shop turned cleaner, and then it was gone, and now they were standing at the old clock shop. Annabeth felt a bit dizzy.

She looked around and didn't recognize the room. And then she realized that she was in the second floor of the shop. Annabeth saw Percy looking around at the back of the clock but she knew Percy was beside her, holding her hand. She blushed at the realization, but Percy stared intently at himself like he was thinking of how stupid he was at that time. The Percy from ten years ago was now clutching a lever beside the clock and he pulled the lever. The clock hands moved. They moved so fast, she was almost being hypnotized by it. But instead the clock started to malfunction. Electric sparks flew. Annabeth saw her parents rush up the stairs. She saw her father saying something to Percy, Percy running downstairs, her father fixing the machine, her mother warning her husband. And then suddenly a big explosion happened and Annabeth and Percy were surrounded by smoke. The weird thing was she didn't feel, and hear anything. "Why didn't we feel the explosion?" Annabeth asked.

"Oh, right. It's hard to explain. Let me put it this way…" Percy thought for a while. "We're like invisible beings. Nobody can see us, but we can see everything. We can't feel or hear too."

Annabeth started to tear up. She saw her parents again. But she didn't get the chance to tell them that she loved them. Besides she knew they wouldn't hear her. She felt Percy—the one beside her—hugging her. Annabeth hugged back and cried at his chest. "Shh. Everything's alright." Percy reassured her. "I—I'm sorry. I shouldn't have taken you here. It's my entire fault."

"N—no. It's okay. Th-thank you though." Annabeth sniffed. "Thank you f-for t-taking me here. It's b-better than not knowing the truth."

"Should we go back now?" Percy let go of Annabeth. But the truth was he didn't want to let go of Annabeth. He wanted to just stay there and hold Annabeth.

"Yes. I-I think we should." Annabeth took a hold of Percy's hand. She closed her eyes and felt her environment change. When she opened her eyes, she saw that she was back to their old place. But this time, her grandmother was seated on her usual seat.

"Ah. I see you've travelled in time." Annabeth's grandma smiled at her. "Enjoyed the trip?"

Annabeth wiped her tears off and smiled at her grandmother, "Yes, Nana. It was lovely."

"Ahh, I knew you would enjoy time travelling. I've always told your mom to let you travel through time. Alas, she was stubborn and didn't want to risk you." Katherine shook her head in disappointment.

"Wait. You've been time travelling?" Annabeth asked.

"Why of course, dear. That explains why I take so long on buying my books. I go through time." Katherine smiled at Annabeth.

Annabeth looked around to see that it was night time. "Wait. We left when there was sunlight. Why is it night time already?" Annabeth questioned.

"Well, time moves faster in the present when you're travelling. You leave for a minute, an hour have passed in the present. You stay one hour in the past, it's a day in the present. You stayed there for twenty five minutes, I assume. Five hours have passed." Katherine was still smiling.

"May I interrupt?" Percy asked Katherine. "May I talk to Annabeth privately?"

"Well, of course you can. But I'm not moving an inch from this chair. The two of you are the ones to go outside. Not the old lady." Katherine chuckled.

"Thank you for your hospitality, Nana." Annabeth said sarcastically.

"No need to be sarcastic, Annabethine. Now, run along before time stops Percy." Katherine returned to her book.

Percy took hold of Annabeth hand and led her outside. The alleyway was now empty, now it was nighttime. The weather was colder but the two of them didn't mind. "What did my grandma mean by that?" Annabeth asked.

"About time stopping me? Yeah. I don't have much time, Annabeth. I can't stay here forever. I'm dead, so I'm supposed to die. And not walk around London and people who knows I'm dead, seeing me. I have five minutes left. I-I have so much to tell you." Percy looked at Annabeth.

"Well then stop looking at me and say it now." Annabeth said.

"Well, I…I… I fancy you, Annabeth. I've always fancied you. When you held my hand, I felt like my mission was accomplished. But you needed to know the truth and that's why I stayed." Percy looked at his watch. "Three minutes." He said.

"Oh. Oh. I… I liked you too, Wait. I'm panicking here. Uhm. I'm no good on time pressure. I still like you though. Yeah." Annabeth bit her lip.

Percy grinned. He looked at his watch again. One minute left. Percy kissed Annabeth. Annabeth was surprised but she kissed him back. They felt time go slow, but in reality they had thirty seconds left. They stayed like that for what seemed like an hour. Five seconds. Percy pulled Annabeth closer. One second. Annabeth became aware that she was kissing the air. She felt dumb enough for that. But she knew she had kissed Percy. He was gone now. Permanently gone. Annabeth felt the melancholy. Percy left her with nothing. No pictures, or any jewelry—necklaces, rings, whatever. The only feeling he left was the feel of his lips on hers. Annabeth felt something cold on her arms. She looked at it and saw snow. She turned her head up, gazing at the sky. Along with the stars, she saw fluffy, white stuff falling. Snow. It was winter. The first day of winter. Annabeth turned and went back to the clock shop. Winter was the time she lost her parents and Percy.

And now, she lost Percy again in winter.

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><p><strong>Sorry, if they were a bit OOC here. Actually, I didn't write this for the sake of fanfiction. I wrote this because it was our assignment to make a short story for our English class. Percy and Annabeth weren't the original characters here. I was too lazy to modify this. I just wanted to post this and I felt that people might like this. So, yeah. Review?<strong>

**-BE18**


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